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by morgante 3699 days ago
> Unfortunately the only thing that can solve the apathetic board and executive management problem(who only see dollar signs) is the actuality, or realistic possibility, of significant financial loss, or loss of their personal freedom(prison) due to the negligence of the system.

Or developers refuse to build software without safety built in.

If they can't hire anyone to build their unsafe systems, they'll have to start building safe software.

Let the market work for you.
1 comments
sathackr 3699 days ago
That sounds nice...but then you will be replaced by a developer that will toe the company line. You're making 'unreasonable' demands and holding up progress. 'We can fix that with version 2.0'

If every developer on the planet suddenly had a pang of consciousness, then something like this would work.

Fortunately I have never found myself in such a position, but I have seen it many many times.

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morgante 3699 days ago
That's why we should probably require engineering certifications for working on safety-critical software. Working on such software should require demonstrating a certain level of knowledge and upholding a code of ethics.

I generally oppose certification for engineers, but solving collective action dilemmas like this and saving lives in the process is exactly where it would help.

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sathackr 3699 days ago
How do you ensure someone upholds a code of ethics? Licensing is not the answer. I'm sure there are many PEs that find themselves in similar situations.

I know examples of people in licensed fields who have sworn to uphold a code of ethics, but have been caught up in very similar situations.

I can't find it now but I just saw a video recently of a rail bridge with a crumbling foundation that had just been signed off on by a PE and declared safe by the railroad.

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